Statement by Yoshimitsu Kobayashi, Chairman of Keizai Doyukai
On Result of U.S.-Japan Summit

November 6, 2017

Yoshimitsu Kobayashi
Chairman, Keizai Doyukai

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1. President Trump and Prime Minister Abe have reaffirmed at today's summit the strong solidarity of the United States-Japan alliance based on their close relationship. We sincerely welcome the announcement of the strong initiative to jointly address a variety of issues related to the national security and the economy.
2. The two leaders have affirmed a policy of giving the largest pressure to North Korea in tandem with the international community against the North's continued nuclear/ballistic missile development, and also focused on solving the abduction issue through meeting an abductee and the families of abductees. We appreciate these positive actions above all as reflecting the tight relations between the two countries.
3. As the U.S. is pressing Japan in the trade issues for a fair, free and reciprocal trading relationship, a development of the U.S.-Japan economic dialogue, going forward, must be carefully observed with a focus on a yearly 70 billion dollars or about 8 trillion yen U.S. trade deficit against Japan. We request our government to pursue an early ratification of the TPP11 and the EU-Japan EPA, which will drive the inward-looking U.S. to focus more on the international society, and to persistently advocate the importance of free trade and economic partnership.

Japanese version